Page 20 of Bride for the Mountain Man

“Leave him alone! It’s me you want.”

Rina looks delighted at the scene before her, her attention coming back to me. “You are. I’m about to solve two problems with one bullet.” Her eyes go wide and beady, madness kicking in. “Now be a dear and die already, Ivy. I’ve had such a day.”

All three of them hold up their guns, pointed directly at me. Time slows down. My eyes go to Connor. With my last breath I whisper his name.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Chapter Eleven

Connor

It was about fucking time.The guns go off and I don’t hesitate. With honed lightning fast-reflexes, I bring my gun up and shoot to kill. I watch as Rina and her hired guns fall to the ground. Both men are dead—head shots—but Rina’s been kept alive. She has information we need. Plus, I wouldn’t bat an eye at seeing her rot away in a cell somewhere.

Cohen and Lennox appear from the tree line, running to us. But I have eyes only for Ivy. She’s leaning against the SUV, watching me with wide, confused eyes. Relief floods my body that this is over. That the danger is—

“Connor,” she whispers, hands slipping down the SUV. I round the side, catching her in time before she hits the ground. There’s blood.

Red blooms across the white fabric of her dress. She’s been shot. Bracing her against my body, I lower her gently. She stares at me, her breath stuttering out.

“It’s okay. Ivy, angel, everything is going to be okay. I’ve got you.”

“Connor,” she gasps, her voice scared and shaky.

“I’ve got you,” I repeat, pressing hard into her side to stop the bleeding. My training kicks in but this time there’s emotion clouding my thoughts. I can’t think straight. All I know is that she has to be okay. She has to be.

Resting a hand over mine, Ivy gives me a small smile. “I love you.”

“I love you too, angel, but I need you to say with me. Keep those gorgeous eyes on me.”

“Till death, right?” She starts to wheeze, her eyes falling closed.

“Forever, angel. You’re going to be fine,” I say, rocking her back and forth. “You’re going to be fine.”

“Love you,” she tries to say but the words are mumbled. Her eyes close again, this time not opening.

Shaking her, I try to get a response but she lies limp in my arms. Tears are streaming down my face as I chant her name, begging her to wake up.

The world around me fades. This can’t be happening. I promised her. I promised Ivy that I protected what’s mine.

And I’d broken that promise.

“Connor. Connor! Focus on me. Brother, focus.”

In a daze, I blink up at Cohen. I can hear him, but his words aren’t making sense. When he tries to pull me from Ivy, I begin to fight back. No, I don’t want to leave her.

“Connor, she’s still breathing. Ivy’s alive, but we need to get her to the hospital. You need to let them take her.” He gestures to something over his shoulder.

That’s when I become aware of the flashing lights. Emergency services are here. Cohen must have alerted them. When I see two uniformed people running to us, I force myself to allow them access to Ivy. She needs them more than me right now.

Standing on shaky legs, I watch as they transfer her onto a stretcher and rush to the ambulance. They don’t even stop to see if anyone is riding with them, they just slam the doors and drive away with blaring of sirens.

Cohen’s hand slams down on my shoulder, breaking my stare. “I’m sorry, Connor. I’m so damn sorry. Our timing was off. I thought—”

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